'No one cares': Life in Johannesburg's 'hijacked' buildings

Cara Anna, Associated Press

May 14, 2018Updated: May 14, 2018 10:44am

Photo: Bram Janssen, AP

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This April 6, 2018 photo shows downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. Some of Johannesburg’s decaying blocks have been turned into upscale venues with art galleries and coffee shops, the first steps to restoring vibrancy to the city’s downtown that many fled in the waning years of apartheid, or white minority rule, which ended in the early 1990s. less

This April 6, 2018 photo shows downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. Some of Johannesburg’s decaying blocks have been turned into upscale venues with art galleries and coffee shops, the first steps to ... more

Photo: Bram Janssen, AP

Image 2 of 14

In this March 29, 2018 photo, Malawian migrants sit on the rooftop of an abandoned building in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. Mayor Herman Mashaba has alarmed residents of South Africa’s largest city of more than 4.4 million people by accusing migrants from other countries for making up the majority of squatters, contributing to the xenophobia that periodically flares into violent attacks. Foreigners “are not the responsibility of the city,” he said last year. less

In this March 29, 2018 photo, Malawian migrants sit on the rooftop of an abandoned building in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. Mayor Herman Mashaba has alarmed residents of South Africa’s largest city of ... more

Photo: Bram Janssen, AP

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In this April 9, 2018 photo, a toddler stands in front of a graffitied wall at an abandoned building occupied by squatters in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. The previous administration said 16,000 housing units were needed for the inner city’s “most vulnerable” residents alone, according to a report it released with U.N.-Habitat in 2016. The current administration says overall it faces a housing backlog of 300,000 units. less

In this April 9, 2018 photo, a toddler stands in front of a graffitied wall at an abandoned building occupied by squatters in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. The previous administration said 16,000 housing ... more

Photo: Bram Janssen, AP

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In this April 9, 2018 photo, people warm themselves by a fire place in an abandoned building they occupy in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. Some squatters work as security guards, domestic workers and small traders in neighborhoods nearby, while others are unemployed, hustle or turn to crime. less

In this April 9, 2018 photo, people warm themselves by a fire place in an abandoned building they occupy in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. Some squatters work as security guards, domestic workers and ... more

Photo: Bram Janssen, AP

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In this April 9, 2018 photo, a toilet is overflowed with feces inside an abandoned building occupied by squatters in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. Tens of thousands of squatters, and others who say they pay nominal rents, are left in a filthy limbo without basic services and at the mercy of Johannesburg’s high rate of crime. less

In this April 9, 2018 photo, a toilet is overflowed with feces inside an abandoned building occupied by squatters in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. Tens of thousands of squatters, and others who say they ... more

Photo: Bram Janssen, AP

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In this March 28, 2018 photo, a mattress is left behind in an abandoned building where squatters were evicted months earlier, in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. A Constitutional Court ruling last year emphasized the obvious: The city cannot evict people without offering proper alternatives, even if they consent to go. less

In this March 28, 2018 photo, a mattress is left behind in an abandoned building where squatters were evicted months earlier, in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. A Constitutional Court ruling last year ... more

Photo: Bram Janssen, AP

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In this March 29, 2018 photo, Malawian migrant shoe makers work inside their bedroom inside an abandoned building they occupy in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. Squatters say they want to see redevelopment that would give them a proper home, not force them to leave. less

In this March 29, 2018 photo, Malawian migrant shoe makers work inside their bedroom inside an abandoned building they occupy in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. Squatters say they want to see redevelopment ... more

Photo: Bram Janssen, AP

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In this April 19, 2018 photo, migrants walk amid tents provided by the city government after they were evicted from abandoned buildings in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. This collection of tents on the edge of a sports field is what the city of Johannesburg considers appropriate alternative housing while something more permanent is arranged. less

In this April 19, 2018 photo, migrants walk amid tents provided by the city government after they were evicted from abandoned buildings in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. This collection of tents on the ... more

Photo: Bram Janssen, AP

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In this April 9, 2018 photo, an abandoned building's courtyard is used as a dumping ground by the neighborhood's residents in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. On visits to "hijacked" buildings by the AP, residents were disgusted by their living conditions. less

In this April 9, 2018 photo, an abandoned building's courtyard is used as a dumping ground by the neighborhood's residents in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. On visits to "hijacked" buildings by the AP, ... more

Photo: Bram Janssen, AP

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In this March 30, 2018 photo, two-year-old Makanake Angel sleeps on her mother's bed inside an abandoned building in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. Last month, three children were killed when a wall collapsed on them in the building their families shared with about 300 people. less

In this March 30, 2018 photo, two-year-old Makanake Angel sleeps on her mother's bed inside an abandoned building in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. Last month, three children were killed when a wall ... more

Photo: Bram Janssen, AP

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In this March 29, 2018 photo, a woman washes clothing in the bathroom of an abandoned building occupied by mostly Malawian migrants in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. The state has the money and land and should provide housing at affordable prices, according to Stuart Wilson, the executive director of the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa, calling the city “not particularly keen” on public housing. less

In this March 29, 2018 photo, a woman washes clothing in the bathroom of an abandoned building occupied by mostly Malawian migrants in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. The state has the money and land and ... more

Photo: Bram Janssen, AP

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In this March 30, 2018 photo, a woman walks past an abandoned building occupied by squatters in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. The mayor wants the city's squatters cleared out to make way for an urban revival, with proposals to expropriate buildings and turn them over to private developers. less

In this March 30, 2018 photo, a woman walks past an abandoned building occupied by squatters in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. The mayor wants the city's squatters cleared out to make way for an urban ... more

Photo: Bram Janssen, AP

Image 13 of 14

In this March 29, 2018 photo, Malawian migrant Jonas smokes marihuana on the rooftop of an abandoned building in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. Mayor Herman Mashaba has alarmed residents of South Africa’s largest city of more than 4.4 million people by accusing migrants from other countries for making up the majority of squatters, contributing to the xenophobia that periodically flares into violent attacks. Foreigners “are not the responsibility of the city,” he said last year. less

In this March 29, 2018 photo, Malawian migrant Jonas smokes marihuana on the rooftop of an abandoned building in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. Mayor Herman Mashaba has alarmed residents of South ... more

Photo: Bram Janssen, AP

Image 14 of 14

In this April 9, 2018 photo, a message covers an abandoned building complex occupied by squatters in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. As many as 100,000 people are living in scores of abandoned buildings across downtown Johannesburg, one of Africa's wealthiest cities but also one of the world’s most unequal, according to the World Bank. less

In this April 9, 2018 photo, a message covers an abandoned building complex occupied by squatters in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. As many as 100,000 people are living in scores of abandoned buildings ... more

Photo: Bram Janssen, AP

'No one cares': Life in Johannesburg's 'hijacked' buildings

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JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A rat pauses on the puddled floor before disappearing under a bed. Somewhere in the large and crowded tent a baby, born three days ago, cries. Outside, women gather around a fire that serves as their stove and, as shadows lengthen, their warmth for the night.

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"This is my home," 37-year-old Alisa Jozana says, spreading her arms and smiling ironically. Home is the narrow couch she sits on. She says she's been here since July. "No one cares about us. No one."

This collection of tents on the edge of a sports field is what the city of Johannesburg considers appropriate alternative housing while something more permanent is arranged. The tents hold more than 200 people evicted from inner-city buildings that authorities say have been "hijacked" by squatters.

Tens of thousands more people, by some estimates as many as 100,000, are living in hundreds of abandoned buildings across downtown Johannesburg, one of Africa's wealthiest cities but also one of the world's most unequal, according to the World Bank. The mayor wants the squatters cleared out to make way for an urban revival, with proposals to expropriate buildings and turn them over to private developers.

"The city can confirm 432 buildings as hijacked as of March," a spokesman for the mayor's office, Omogolo Taunyane, said in an email to The Associated Press. The mayor is committed to finding solutions to "bring dignity back to our poorest residents," Taunyane said.

The abandoned buildings make an often dangerous home. Last month, three children were killed when a wall collapsed on them in the building their families shared with about 300 people. For eight months the residents had asked city officials for emergency housing, knowing conditions were not safe. The city failed them, their lawyers said.

Some of Johannesburg's decaying blocks have been turned into upscale venues with art galleries and coffee shops, the first steps to restoring vibrancy to the city's downtown that many fled in the waning years of apartheid, or white minority rule, which ended in the early 1990s.

But Mayor Herman Mashaba has alarmed residents of South Africa's largest city of more than 4.4 million people by accusing migrants from other countries for making up the majority of squatters, contributing to the xenophobia that periodically flares into violent attacks. Foreigners "are not the responsibility of the city," he said last year.

This "extremely unfortunate rhetoric" is what sets the current eviction plans apart from those of previous administrations, said Stuart Wilson, executive director of the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa. The organization represents people in up to 20 buildings across the city and about 80 percent of them are South African, he said.

On visits to "hijacked" buildings by the AP, residents said they are disgusted by their living conditions. Some work as security guards, domestic workers and small traders in neighborhoods nearby. Others are unemployed, hustle or turn to crime. They want to see redevelopment that would give them a proper home, not force them to leave.

That plan has run into trouble after a Constitutional Court ruling last year emphasized the obvious: The city cannot evict people without offering proper alternatives — even if they consent to go.

"The city's plans are to provide a mere 364 new beds in temporary accommodation this year. That is a tiny fraction of what is required," the socio-economic rights group said after the deadly wall collapse. The state has the money and land and should provide housing at affordable prices, the group's executive director added, calling the city "not particularly keen" on public housing.

The previous administration said 16,000 housing units were needed for the inner city's "most vulnerable" residents alone, according to a report it released with U.N.-Habitat in 2016. The current administration says overall it faces a housing backlog of 300,000 units.

For now, tens of thousands of squatters, and others who say they pay nominal rents, are left in a filthy limbo without basic services and at the mercy of Johannesburg's high rate of crime.

In one building the AP visited in the Berea neighborhood, residents pleaded for assistance. A toilet on the first floor overflowed with feces, the room beyond it flooded with gray water. Behind a curtain, a woman lay on a bed in the shadows, a small child curled to her bare breasts. She was ill, said residents who walked in and out of the room with ease.

Shattered windows were stuffed with rags. There were no utilities. People use buckets for toilets and light candles at night despite being fearful of fires.

"There's no life. We're crying," said 34-year-old Siphokazi Siyaya, a mother of three who said she has lived in the building for eight years with up to 200 other people. "Sometimes people are fighting, shooting in front of our children. We just want them to grow up safe."